Butterfly Prince

by Britannica Tany

  “Get away from here?” Aiden gulps down his third glass of beer and squints his eyes at Kael. “Yeah, ya know, go abroad.” Kael replies and Aiden smiles boyishly. “Maybe I’ll travel with you.” Aiden’s words had Kael’s heart racing. “And maybe we’d get a room together and go out and walk the streets.” The more Aiden talked and the more he waved his hands about, the more Kael began to realize that Aiden was drunk. With a small smile he listens to all that Aiden has to say. “We’ll eat all the food, but not fish and chips,” Aiden scrunches up his nose. “I ate those once before and my stomach was just hoooorrible.” Kael brings his hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter. “I told Jenna that I wanted to leave Melia, she said she wanted to stay, that all the memories aren’t bad here.” With a glass of beer in his hand, Aiden looks to Kael and frowns. “She was wrong, the only memories I can remember vividly is the last day my sister left and the first day I heard about her death.” Kael’s throat clamps up. “She went there to protect me, Kael and in the end she…” Aiden trails off and takes a swig of the golden liquid, Kael watches as Aiden’s adam’s apple bobs and his gaze drifts down the older’s neck to the mole at the center of his chest. Kael couldn’t help but to wonder about what was below Aiden’s mole, what he was hiding behind all his black shirts and hoodies. Kael crosses his legs and tears his gaze away.

  “Did you know that I lost someone dear to me?” Aiden’s voice had faded away to a listless murmur. “She was my older sister…” Kael looks down at the foamy liquid floating in his glass. “Skye, Skye Kim; my sister was the prettiest.” There was a bitter lull in Aiden’s voice and silence trickles down into their conversation. Kael takes a sip from his beer, not really in the mood for drinking. And then after ten minutes, Aiden starts talking again. “You know why I come home so late?” Kael tilts his head as if to say ‘why?’ Aiden closes his eyes and continues on. “I have to train to protect this guy—this bullshit of a guy…” Kael leans forward, pushing his beer aside. “He—he—I don’t know what he looks like, but he probably knows everything about me, hell, he probably knows what I don’t know about myself.” Kael was intrigued now. What did Aiden do to go home so late? Who was this guy he had to protect? “You wanna know who he is?” Kael’s eyes widen and he nods. Aiden takes another gulp of his beer and then another until the glass is empty. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, sighs and then picks up where he left off. “I don’t know if I should tell you though…Janus would have my ass.” Kael’s eyes widen even further. “Ja—Janus…how do you know—”

  “I’m always training with that asshole, he even said that I shouldn’t get close to you Kael.” Aiden snorts. “He said that you’d hurt me.” Kael slowly begins to lean back, his expression falling. “But if you haven’t already known—I’m a bodyguard—well in training anyways.” It was beginning to make sense now or maybe it always had. “I can protect myself if you decide to threaten me.” Aiden cracks with a grin, but Kael couldn’t muster up one. “I’ve never hated a stranger so much.” Aiden says. “He probably sits in the castle, alone, laughing and looking down upon us.” Kael clenches his fist. “I have to protect an asshole.” Be quiet. “I want to hurt him just as badly as he hurt me, Kael.” Please, be quiet. Kael repeatedly swallows, his eyes glistening. “That Prince took my sister away from me.” I know Aiden, I know, please don’t remind me. “That Prince,” Aiden grits his teeth. “I hope he suffe—”

  “Just shut-up.” Kael hisses, lunging forward and gripping the collar of Aiden’s shirt. He looks into his eyes and then down at his lips. “Kael…”

  “This Prince, Aiden, this Prince.” Kael lightly shakes him. “You don’t understand how much he’s suffered. You don’t understand his loneliness.” Aiden blinks, his eyes glazed over with alcohol. “He’s berated himself and blamed himself countless times.” Kael stares into Aiden’s dark eyes. “I don’t want to hear things like that, not from you, not from…” Kael trails off, his grip on Aiden’s shirt loosening. He lets out a heavy breath and looks at Aiden. “Why is this all so fucked up?” He asks, biting his bottom lip and leaning towards Aiden. “Kael…”

  “What?”

  “Your eyes are really pretty.” The older smiles sheepishly, his cheeks flushed red. Kael stares at him for a moment before laughing despite the knot of his heart. “Thank you.” Aiden beams and leans up as though he were waiting for a kiss. Kael stares at him and then looks around, checking to see if anyone was watching them. He leans over the table even closer to Aiden until his breath is ghosting over his lips. He knew this wasn’t right. He knew that this wasn’t something ‘friends’ would do. Kael knew from that time on the bridge, he knew that what he was feeling weren’t feelings a friend would possess.

  They weren’t feelings a man should have for another man. But in Kael’s eyes it was okay, it was normal, because love had been drenched from him and if love was what he felt for Aiden—he tilts his head—then it was okay—their lips meet. Kael brings his hands to the side of Aiden’s face and lifts his head up so he could kiss him longer. He closes his eyes and lets the moment whisk him away. Aiden’s lips were soft and his breath smelled of alcohol, Kael could even taste the beer on his tongue. But it was okay, kissing him like this was fine because Aiden would forget in the morning. Just like they promised—forget. Kael leans back and settles into his seat. He wished he could forget all that Aiden had said. His heart was burning with a sensation he’s never felt before. He looks towards Aiden, the ashen haired male was staring at him in a daze. He opens his lips as though he were going to say something, thinks otherwise and flashes Kael the cheesiest grin before blacking out.

  Kael had called Janus, shooing the other bodyguard away and wanting Janus, needing him. “Your majesty, what is it?”

  “Can you come get me?”

  “Where are you?” Janus wanted to ask why the other bodyguard couldn’t drive him, but refrained from doing so. “I’m at one of these bars I don’t—” Kael shifts Aiden around his arms as he turns to look up at the sign. “Some bar called ‘Drink Up.’ Hurry, I need to talk to you.” Janus knew the bar, it was a place he frequented alone or sometimes with Micah when the younger man wouldn’t shut-up about Janus ‘owing him something.’

  “Is something the matter?” He asks. Kael pauses, looks to Aiden and says. “Something’s really wrong, Janus and it’s too late for you to fix it.”

  “Your majesty…”

  “I’m here with Aiden, hurry.” Kael hangs up and that’s when Janus knew that hell was finally crashing down.

  Intoxicated Pt. 2

  The second the car door slams shut and Kael has Aiden fastened into the backseat, sitting beside him, he looks at Janus’s eyes in the mirror and asks. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “Your majesty…”

  “When did you know? Or did you know all along?” Kael’s voice was calm, even. Janus starts the car and adjusts the mirror. “Answer me Janus.” He grips the steering wheel. “I didn’t know…”

  “You had to have known.”

  “If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him get so close to you.” Kael scoffs, shaking his head and staring out of the window. “I can’t believe this.” He says under his breath. Aiden stirs slightly, his head hitting the glass window. Kael turns to look at him and a bitter expression falls upon his face. Janus keeps his gaze focused on the road, the green, red and yellow lights of the street blending into the scenery. “Your majesty—”

  “Call me, Kael…in case he’s pretending to be asleep.” Janus nods and swallows, his throat felt prickly like cactus. “Kael, Aiden came to me a few weeks ago about you, he said that you were becoming close friends.”

  “You could have stopped it then.”

  “I couldn’t have, even if I told you, you wouldn’t have listened.” Kael doesn’t speak and a silence echoes loudly throughout the car. Janus turns a corner looking at Kael’s reflection in the mirror, Kael was running his fingers dazedly through Aiden’s hair. “Maje—Kael,” Janus
corrects himself. “Do you…have feelings for Aiden?” Kael blinks, slowly removing his fingers from Aiden’s head.

  “Are you saying that I like him..?” Janus nods, Kael laughs to himself. “He’s just my friend.” Kael lies and he does it with a smile. “We’re only friends…” He murmurs, his gaze sliding over and resting on Aiden’s sleeping face. He looks so vulnerable and sweet, like a little child. Kael places the back of his hand to the side of Aiden’s face and slowly caresses his cheek. A smile snakes its way onto Kael’s lips and his expression changes entirely. Janus could see him, he could see how he looked at Aiden and knew that this was more than just friendship, more than love—a bond. Kael wants to lean over and kiss him again on his lips and then his nose and then his forehead. “You can’t be…” He whispers softly. “You can’t…” He whispers again, Janus’s eyebrows furrow in pain. He would keep a close eye on Kael tonight in case he tried anything. Janus had basically raised Aiden, he watched him grow from a little boy to a young man. He watched him suffer the loss of his sister and now he was watching as he grew closer to the one man he despised in the entire world. “Kael, may I say something?”

  “I don’t care.” Kael continues to touch Aiden, tracing his finger along his jawline and flinching when Aiden turned his head away. “You’ll have to distance yourself if you don’t want to hurt him.” Kael says nothing. “He’s going to find out.”

  “I won’t ever tell him.”

  “He’ll find out on his own.”

  “How…are you going to tell him?” Kael breaks his hand away from Aiden’s face and peers at Janus. He wasn’t angry, he seemed desperate. Janus comes to a slow in front of Aiden’s home. “I won’t tell him…” Kael lets out an audible sigh, unbuckling the seatbelt around Aiden and carrying him on his back. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Kael says before trudging up the front porch with Aiden. Janus stares after them and then hits his fists against the steering wheel. Kael bends down and rings the doorbell, the weight of Aiden’s body weighing him down. Within a few minutes a middle-aged woman appears at the door. She stares at Kael with obvious confusion as to who he was. “I’m sorry for my sudden appearance.” Kael begins with a shaky smile. “Especially under these circumstances, but your son drunk too much.” Kael laughs nervously and the woman looks over his shoulder and her eyes widen at the comatose appearance of her son. “Aiden!? That idiot son of mine.” She sighs, shaking her head. She steps aside letting Kael through. She repeatedly apologizes and thanks Kael for bringing him home. “He must have caused you so much trouble.”

  “None at all, Mrs. Kim.” Kael places Aiden onto the couch in the living room. Aiden crashes head first into the arm rest, not waking. Kael stares at him for a moment before looking up and giving Mrs. Kim a proper greeting. He bows his head and then takes her hand.

  “My name is Kael, nice to meet you.” He kisses the back of her hand, her eyes widen and her cheeks flush. Kael smiles sweetly and looks around the living room. “Your house is wonderfully decorated.” He compliments, Mrs. Kim laughs shyly. Kael starts to say something, but stops when he sees a portrait of Skye hanging over the fireplace. There were candles and incense lit. His eyes prickle and his heart constricts.

  “That’s our daughter, Skye…” She pauses. “We lost her a while back.” The yellow candle light flickers across the portrait and shines against Skye’s smile. “She’s a beautiful woman.” He says softly.

  “Mmm, she is.” A crestfallen expression takes over Mrs. Kim’s face, her eyes glooming over. Kael steps forward and places a hand to her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He says, she looks to him and shakes her head. “You have no reason to apologize.” She murmurs placing her hand over his. Kael musters up a half smile and turns away. He had to get out of there. His heart was breaking. He glances at Aiden one last time before bowing to Mrs. Kim and making a beeline for the front door. “You can stay until he wakes.” She calls, Kael shakes his head and twists the doorknob. “That’s alright.”

  “Mother, is someone…” Jenna trails off when her eyes land on Kael’s figure. “Kael?” She questions, his eyes were wide with shock. “Jenna…” He murmurs, the guilt from the kiss he had placed upon Aiden’s lips coming up and drying his throat. Jenna looks to Aiden’s mother and then looks to Aiden who was sound asleep on the couch. A question forms on her face and her lips part to say something, but she stops. “We…had a few drinks.” Kael says his voice dropping into the air, Mrs. Kim looks between them, she reads the mood and claps her hands together. “Kael’s such a sweet friend, coming this way and dropping off my idiotic son and your boyfriend.” She says her voice playful, she turns to Kael and gestures to the door with her eyes. Kael takes the hint, bows and hurries out the door. It slams shut behind him, Jenna rushes towards Aiden, and she cups his face and places the back of her hand to his forehead. “Do you think he’ll catch a cold?” She asks Mrs. Kim. “I think with a shower and a cup of tea, he’ll be fine.” She walks over and rubs Jenna on her back. Kael hurries down the porch steps and doesn’t look back, Janus sees him coming and rushes to open the door. “Your majesty!”

  “Not now Janus.” Kael slides into the passenger seat and stares straight ahead. Janus stares in the car at Kael and heaves a heavy sigh before walking around to the driver’s seat. They drove in complete silence, the only sounds the low hum of the car engine. Janus clutches the steering wheel nervously and swallows. The thought had crossed his mind more than a couple of times: what if Kael met Aiden? What if they became close? What then? But never did he think that Kael would develop feelings for Aiden. He risks a glance at the Prince; Kael’s gaze was focused ahead, but resting on nothing in particular, he seemed as though he were living in the world of his mind. Janus suddenly presses down on the break and takes an abrupt left. Kael jolts and turns to look at him. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re going somewhere else.”

  “I have to be home.” Kael says, Janus shakes his head. “You can’t go back there, it’ll happen all over again.” Kael’s eyes squint. “What’ll happen?”

  “You’ll try to forget, you’ll panic and I don’t want you doing that, not again.” Janus had witnessed one of Kael’s most severe panic attacks, it happened after Skye’s death. Kael had let out a blood curdling scream and wouldn’t stop shouting the word ‘book.’ He’d ramble on about how he had to finish a few more books, something about reading them. Janus stood horrified, the Prince was clutching the sheets and clawing his own skin, there’s even a scar on his eyebrow that shows how much pain he caused himself. Janus couldn’t see Kael like that again, so chaotic and confused and helpless. He slows into a vacant parking lot and turns to look Kael in the eyes. “Talk to me.” He says, Kael looks to him baffled, his mouth open. “Your majesty, please, don’t think of me as just a servant, I’m also your companion.” Janus reaches over and places his hand over Kael’s trembling one. Janus notices the trembling, his gaze slowly raking up to meet Kael’s eyes again. “Your majesty…”

  “Wh-what exactly am I, Janus?” Kael’s voice was shaking, devoid of any specific emotion. “I don’t understand sometimes, what am I supposed to do?” Kael’s voice cracks. “Somedays I’m so lost, like I’m floating in complete black…it’s like suffocating, but not knowing the source of who’s causing it.” Kael’s chest expands, Janus listens intently. “I—I want to hold Aiden and tell him everything, all of it. About his sister, me…what I did...”

  “Your majesty, now and even then, it has never been your fault.” Kael laughs, the sound cold and piercing. “You say that, but why does it feel as though it’s my fault? It’s like Skye is looking down on me and blaming me…” Ever so quietly he adds “she has a right to.” Janus bites his bottom lip, he yearned so badly to tell him the truth. It’s your father Kael, he’s the bastard who slept with her and then killed her—he’s the one. But such words would be best from the devil himself, Janus couldn’t let Kael hurt himself any more than he already has. “Kael…” Janus moves his hand to the back
of Kael’s head. “Remember, you have to remember.”

  “I do! Janus! Hell, I remember everything!” Kael shouts, Janus calmly shakes his head. “No you don’t.”

  “What am I missing? Tell me so I know.” Janus ruffles Kael’s hair and says softly. “You tell me; what do you remember about Skye?”

  “I remember her smell…”

  “What’d she smell like?” Kael inhales. “Flowers.”

  “What kind?” Kael shrugs. “All types, everything, she was just sweet smelling.”

  “What else do you remember about her?”

  “Her smile…their smiles are the same—bright, warm…untainted.” Janus shifts in his seat and leans closer to Kael. “What about her personality?” Kael turns away from Janus’s gaze. “She was…she was really, really nice.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “She would always smile and wave when she saw me and she was patient and silly.” Kael laughs. “I remember playing ‘Butterfly’ with her and she would try to pick flowers sneakily, hah…” He trails off, Janus was smiling to himself. “She was patient and what did she say when you first met her?” Kael blinks. “I can’t remember that far.”

  “Yes, you can.” Kael shakes his head. “She…she introduced herself, she told me her name and what she was there for…”

  “What else?” Kael wracked his mind for the memory, thinking over all the tiny little details. The guards wouldn’t let him go outside and then Skye came and she talked with them, introduced herself and then after that she asked: “Want to go outside with me?” Kael looks to Janus. “She took my hand and asked if I wanted to go outside.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What does this have to do with anything, it doesn’t make sense.” Janus moves his hand to Kael’s chin and lifts his head. “She asked if you wanted to go outside, she could have just walked away from you.”